Do better, do better, do better

I'm really not good about this blogging thing, I guess.  I'll frequently think of things that I should have blogged about then time passes and it's not pertinent anymore and then who wants to read it anyway? 

So I'm going to mention some random thoughts that have occurred to me as of late. 

One thing is that I can't believe that people still smoke.  I just don't understand how it can still possibly be appealing to the teens that first pick it up and the adults that continue to do it.  What especially is amazing to me is that so many people in the medical profession do it.  As a dietitian, my first question to anyone asking diet advice is "do you smoke?".  If they say they do, I tell them that I'm not going to waste my time and theirs until they quit smoking.  Because it doesn't really matter if your BMI is 19 or 50.  Although losing weight and eating better will benefit everyone, it's not worth the effort if you're willing to suck on cancer sticks.  Worst thing you can put in your body.

Another thing that I just saw came from a photo.  How can anyone still wear fur?  There are so many other options.  I personally don't buy leather, down, sheepskin, or wool items either.  There are so many man-made fabrics that do a fine job for warmth and style.  Why skin an animal to do it?  I know... Eskimos and bear skins kept them warm, blah, blah, blah.  Yeah, well we used to be able to get everywhere on foot or bike and that hasn't stopped people from moving on, right?  This is not to say that you won't see me in leather shoes... what it means is that those shoes are more than 10 years old.

I try not to pass judgement on people as we all have our issues, but some things just seem plain and obvious to me.  Maybe people don't want to be better and do better. 

Kind of tired now.  Been fighting a sore throat HARD for 2 days.  Going to win because there is no time in triathlon training for being sick, right?

Be there by 6 to get your chip...

3 days of working packet pick-up is a good lesson in public relations and patience.  Repeating the same things over and over, answering the questions, and having fun with other GCR folk.  Of course, some people just can deal with the way things are.  "Why aren't the chips in the packet?"  Because people are generally unorganized and they will lose them or leave them in their hotel and then we have to reassign you in the morning when I'm a lot more grumpy.  "Why 6?"  We've got 2000 people to park, chip, and potty.  If you're really a runner, you're used to it.  "$70.  It was $35."  Yeah, 6 weeks ago.  Sign up earlier next time.  And then people have to toss their opinions in.  One person thought we should start chip pick up at midnight.  Bwahaha!  OK, you going to be there to help hand them out?  No?  Suck it up. 

OK, so these are the things you really want to say to people.  Honestly?  It's a foot race.  Give yourself time.  If you're late it's not my fault and don't expect me to treat it like it's my problem. 

So, here we are, at the highest sign up ever, so things must be OK.  Almost 2000 people will be having fun tomorrow at gun time 7:00.  Yes, gun time.  We have a chip time, too, but awards are based on gun time.  Honestly?  Just run.

New Year's Resolution??

I've been pretty bad at this blogging thing.  Trying to include it in my frequent to-do's but not being very successful.  Maybe I'll make a 2012 goal of being better at it.  December came and went so insanely fast, as I have heard from many others.  We spent a few days in NYC - cold but fun, but otherwise just trying to keep up with the whirlwind of the end of the year. 

So as a closing for now, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is setting goals for 2012 that include health and physical activity.  I'm working on the list... I'll try to remember to post it.  :)

There will always be faster, stronger, better...

Today was the second time I ran the Naples On The Run 20K.  For some reason, I thought it was the third, but maybe that's because it follows generally the same route as our long Saturday runs.

20K is right around 12.42742 miles (-ish), so it's a good gauge to see where you are in half marathon training.  Wanting to PR at the Naples Half in January, I wanted to race it smart.  Unfortunately, I don't really have much of a grasp on racing smart.

The main theme was that I really didn't want to start out too fast and not be able to hold on - which is a frequent issue with distance.  Michelle wasn't feeling well enough to come to the race, so it was me and Christy covering the distance.  We passed Lowdermilk Park (the usual Saturday starting place) just shy of 2 miles, so I tried to tell myself that we were really just starting then.  I told Christy just to look at it like our normal Saturday run, but that someone stole our cars so we had to run all the way to NOTR.  I don't think she found it a very funny suggestion. 

Between 2 & 3 I had a little back pain on my lower right side (probably the stupid mattress) but otherwise felt good.  That good feeling held through mile 7, which I was really happy about.  Right around mile 8, I had a Clif Shot and we turned back from Gordon to Gulf Shore.  At that point, Christy was ready to slow it a bit.  I had initially said that if I feel good around 9, then I would push it, but since I didn't want to slow down at 8, I figured it was a decent time to break off.  4.5 miles is a maintainable distance.  So, I squeezed the trigger a little and sped up.  It felt good, especially as I was passing people.  There was a little back and forth around the water stops but I eventually caught those who passed me and didn't let them catch me again.

I felt thirsty between the last 2 water stops, but other than that it was a really good run.  I don't like being cold, but was probably dressed a little too warmly for the last half of it.  But I'd always rather be too hot than too cold.

But I was POOPED!  Came home, unloaded the car of all the timing stuff with Shawn, ate lunch, and took a LONG nap.  Couldn't stay awake for the Eagles game, but it didn't seem like I missed much.  I woke up and saw the 14-14, then the field goal, then the Eagles lose it once again.  Sucks that we're still paying for the Season Ticket, but I guess you always take that gamble... especially with the $$$ that they have spent to buff up the team this year. 

Anyhow, the moral of the story is that while my time for the 20K wasn't fast by any good Naples runner standards, it was a PR for me!  2:04:58.  There will always be faster, stronger, better, but if you put work in and improve against yourself, you have NOTHING to feel bad about.  

I wore my Run Happy shirt today and was reminded a few times through the race that if you're not running happy, then you're kind of missing the whole point.

Way out of the loop!

I'm so far behind on blogging!  Just can't keep up with it all. 

Season has started in Naples.  Which means for the full-timers, our town is taken over.  It takes twice as long to get anywhere, you have to watch for your life in parking lots, grocery stores are a serious test of patience, and restaurants are too packed to even try to go out to eat. 

Went to lunch at Shula's yesterday with the Greater Naples Phi Mu alumnae group.  I'm the president of the group, even though I have a hard time keeping it all together.  We have a lunch scheduled monthly that sometimes included business meetings.  November is always an auction that we call the Make It/Bake It/Donate It.  We all bring items and auction them off to each other to raise money that we give out in December to a charity.  We had an assortment of items and 8 ladies.  I scored a candle and a tin of chocolate chip cookies.  We raised almost $100 and will decide where to donate.  It's a small group but we do our best to stick with the Phi Mu Philanthropy goals. 

Got home just in time to get ready then for the Sunset & Suds 5K.  This was a local race to benefit the Rotary Club that was not contracted to GCR, so we actually got to go and participate with no work to do.  Since we have the 20K on Sunday, this 5K was done as a casual tempo run.  Turned out to almost be a 5K PR for me at 28:00 for 3.06 miles - about a 9:10 pace.  Having that pace at an "easy" run is really great for me.  I'm looking forward to really pushing it and seeing what I can do later in the season at some official measured 5K's. 

Looking so forward to a casual Saturday today.  Lots of email to catch up on and laundry and weeding.  But otherwise I plan to take it easy - which I LOVE!

To sleep, perchance to dream

I did not sleep well last night.  I set my alarm for 4:30 so I could get up to swim.  When I know I have to get up, I usually wake up around 2, realize I have time, and go back to sleep.  This morning, I felt like there was a mosquito in the bed and by the bites on my legs, either there was, or I had gotten bites yesterday that were just coming to their itchy fruition.  Eventually I must have fallen back to sleep, because the alarm woke me.  I turned it off and must have immediately fallen back to sleep. 

I was at my grandfather's house, some of my dad's cousins were there and we were chatting a bit.  Then a car pulled up to take some of the kids to school and I ran down to say hi to my Pop-pop who was driving.  I could hear him telling the kids to get in the car so they wouldn't be late.  He gave me a kiss and just looked at me, smiling with eyes full of love.  I told him I'd see him later and off they went.

By the time I woke up the clock said 4:55 and Shawn was walking into the bathroom.  I jumped out of bed, threw on my stuff, brushed my teeth, and made it to swim by 5:25, crying most of the way.  I wasn't sure if I'd be able to swim while I was driving, but I was able to focus on the workout. 

Pop-pop has only been in a couple of dreams in the last 5 years since he passed away.  This was one of the most vivid.  I'm still crying writing this, but in the same respect, I wish that he visited me every night.  I still miss him so much.

This is one of the last photos I have with Pop-pop, visiting him in his ALF room the last summer he was with us. 

Just another long weekend - sleep, eat, run & buy a car

For the past several years, Shawn has been researching and saving for a Camaro.  This led him from the original, through different models, finally landing on a convertible.  He would have one reason or another to not bite the bullet and get one, the main reason being making sure it wouldn't rattle the budget too badly.  He would bring it up from time to time, when to do it, what exactly to get... and finally I just told him to get a number on what a payment would be and the down payment needed to get to that payment.

So the next day he does a complete 180 and says that in searching around, he finds a more interesting car, the Chevy SSR.  It was a limited production vehicle a few years back - a hard top convertible with a hard top pick-up bed.  To be honest, I couldn't really care less about cars.  Give me a hybrid, electric or Smart car and I'd be more than happy.  Noise, torque, and horsepower do nothing to sell me a car.  He finds one (I did like the silver color, but not the leather interior) at a Jaguar dealership in Fort Pierce that he decides he wants to go see.  So he takes off of work last Friday and we make the almost 3 hour drive through the middle of Florida to go to see the car.  We check it out (I find the little stuff here and there that isn't perfect - which Shawn HATES), he looks at the engine, go for a test drive, he likes it, and I have to admit that it's pretty cool to have a hard-top convertible in FL.  After the usual car negotiation BS, we agree to take it. I had to get home by 3:30, so I took off so Shawn could finish the paperwork. 

Saturday morning I was supposed to meet Michelle & Christy for the 6 AM GCR training run, but the radar looked crappy - wind & rain, so we bagged it.  Shawn spent a good chunk of the weekend rearranging the garage so both cars would fit.  This was one of my clauses in the purchase of a car - that I wouldn't lose my garage privileges.  Everyone has their priorities. 

Sunday morning was the first in the long series of winter GCR events, the Halloween Monster Crazy 8K.  We do registration and timing for the GCR events.  On race day, we're usually up before 5 to make our way to the location to help set up the registration area and finish line & get the day started.  After a few glitches, we were underway with data entry and set up.  I usually run the races since my work is done before the start of the race.  Wasn't sure I would make the start because of a power glitch delaying my registration entry duties, but I got there just in time.  I've been doing some running since the marathon, but nothing for intense training.  I went off pretty fast and maintained a decent pace for the 5 miles.  I was satisfied with the result & a good time for me.  I think my pace was around the 9:20 mark. 

After returning home and getting the cars unloaded, I retired for my usual post-race nap.  I'm a napper.  I like to sleep.  I'm not as nice of a person if I don't get enough sleep.  So be it.  I woke up a few hours later to eat lunch.  Then did a little computer work after deciding to meet Michelle to make up for the run we missed on Saturday.  She went out and did a couple before I arrived since I didn't know how far my legs would want to go after the 5 that morning.  Together we did another 5.15 miles and called it an evening. 

I really didn't feel like cooking at all.  We've had these Bagel Bites in the freezer for a couple of months, so we agreed to just have those.  Shawn expressed his great displeasure at how much I ate but I was REALLY hungry after running twice so I told him to shut up.  He stayed grumpy. 

The Eagles game was at 8 and I made it to about half-time before I retired to watch the rest in bed.  I think I fell asleep in the third quarter but heard it was an awesome game.  Wish I could have seen the whole thing, but sleep ALWAYS wins.